A hot lid is a removable device that engages a cup to cover and seal the mouth of the cup while providing additional features. These features may include thermal insulation, enhanced prevention of spillage, and decoration. A conventional disposable hot lid may be one of two different types, either an open or a re-closable lid. The open hot lid is the simplest and is cheaper to produce; however, the presence of an open sip hole makes it more prone to spillage and less thermally insulating. Supplemental devices have been provided to address these issues, such as plugs or “splash sticks”, which are essentially plastic plugs for sip holes from which a stir stick extends into the drink. However, these plug devices tend to also provide an unpleasant taste giving rise to consumer avoidance and quick disposal when once used. While the “splash stick” offers a better solution to the spillage and heat insulation problem, when disengaged from the sip hole it is difficult to keep the “splash stick” somewhere clean and hygiene, the wet portion of the stick can easily contribute to coffee stains on clothing, and it takes effort for the users to put the stick back into the sip hole to prevent the problems.
The re-closable hot lids include a plastic flap that is somewhat effective in preventing the spillage and keeping cup content warm, but the plastic flap piece fails to completely seal the cup and also tends to irritate or tickle the user's nose.
Thus, there remains a need for an improved disposable lid for use with coffee and other drink cups. The present novel technology addresses this need.